


Children of Nemesis

by hyacynth



Category: Naruto
Genre: Battle School, Childhood Trauma, Ender's Game AU, M/M, Minor Character Death, Mixed perspective, Plot, Slow Burn, Violence, gay ninjas in space, rated M just in case!, so much plot will they kiss who knows (spoiler: they will), the rest of the gang's all there too! some multigenerational ninja bullshit!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-18
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2019-06-12 07:42:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15335109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyacynth/pseuds/hyacynth
Summary: In the far future, the International Fleet has decided that children are the tool it will use to win its impossible war. Kids with a spark of strategy or a talent for leadership are sent off-world to "Battle School," a maze of mock armies and war games orbiting the Earth. With the threat of a third invasion looming, the teachers who run the school are growing ever more urgent. In the midst of all this, one boy has the gall to believe he can save everyone — even those that don't want to be saved.Basically an Ender's Game AU but you don't need to have read it to enjoy this. Plot driven sci-fi sns.





	1. Prologue - Wartimes

"Commander!"

The voice was hoarse and low, the soldier half shouting to be heard across the room over the roar of the engines. The commander himself stood staring out the front window of the ship at a battlefield in turmoil. His ship, _The Avalon_ , was battered, but gliding relatively smoothly around the edges of the battle, a sharp speck of light in the vast darkness of space. The rest of his fleet wasn't so lucky.

"At ease," he said softly, eyes not leaving the blaze of wreckage in front of him, "What is it?"

The soldier stood a moment, eyes darting between his commander and the battlefield.

"Sir," he finally managed, "He...he woke up."

The commander's attention finally snapped away from the battle. His eyes were sharp and dark against his tanned skin.

"When?"

"Just a few minutes ago, sir. He hasn't spoken, but his eyes are open."

"Can he walk?"

The soldier looked hesitant, but nodded.

"Bring him to me."

The soldier quickly ducked out of the room, and the commander turned back to the battle. The ships were swarming like insects, so chaotic and so overwhelmingly many that he could barely see through the haze. The human fleet, by comparison, had already been reduced to a mere third of its original size — and it was shrinking.

The commander tightened his fist, digging his finger nails into the skin of his palm. The enemy fleet had already made its way nearly half of the way through the solar system. With only two more planets left before they reached Earth, he couldn't afford to lose here. Even if he did, by the time the news of his defeat reached the admiral back at central command the buggers would already be within range of Earth. In front of him, a panel of controls and communication lines blinked and glimmered in the dim of the ship lighting. Lines to his captains, lines to his engineers. And what could he tell them? Hang in there? Believe in yourself?

There were footsteps behind him.

"Here," he said, without turning, "I need you."

In a few moments a pale hand clasped around his shoulder, and his arm fell around the frame of his second in command.

"Can you speak? Can you see?"

The man nodded, and smiled wryly.

"I can speak," he rasped, voice coarse and shaky, "I just sound like shit."

The commander managed a short smile.

"I'm glad to have you back. Sit with me. Soldier, you're dismissed."

The man saluted, and quietly left as the commander and his lieutenant sat down. After a few moments' silence, the commander sighed and collapsed in on himself. Dark hair fell across his face, and he absently lifted a hand to brush it away.

"Your hand is shaking," the lieutenant observed.

The commander shook his head.

"It's nothing. Nothing compared to how you've been the past few days."

"Me? Oh, it's _nothing_ ," parroted the lieutenant, squeezing the commander's shoulder lightly, "Here, let me help you. In my fleeting moments of consciousness I've been thinking. I have ideas,  _sir._ If I may?"

The commander let out a short chuckle.

"You have permission to speak,  _lieutenant_."

The lieutenant stood, a bit shakily, and walked behind the commander's chair.

"Look. Watch how the enemy ships move," he said, pointing to the battlefield.

"I have," the commander said, "They're like a swarm of bees."

"Exactly. You see my point, then."

"No, I don't."

"You said it yourself," the lieutenant said, sitting back down and turning to face the commander, "They move like a swarm of bees. These aren't Earth insects we're dealing with, but the similarities are there. Look at how they arc."

The two stared at the battle in silence, the hum of the engine pulsing in the background as ships wizzed across their line of sight.

"Weeks ago, when I first saw it, I thought I must be hallucinating — making it up. But I've been thinking it over. Doesn't it look like there's a focal point? A place all the ships orbit around?"

The commander squinted, eyes shifting from the swarming bugger ships to the human fleet, and back again. Despite the seeming chaos of the enemy formation, there was...something. There was one small point where the enemy ships were especially concentrated. No matter how the fleet shifted or stirred, there was a always a veil of ships between the human army and whatever sat at the center of the swarm. The storm had a center. Eyes widening, the commander stood.

"What do you think it is? A flagship? A leader?"

The lieutenant smiled.

"Who knows? Maybe a queen bee. If we can get a clear shot..."

The commander was already reaching down to his control panel, fingers flickering across it. As he began to issue soft, careful orders to his captains and engineers, the lieutenant smiled, and leaned back in his seat. The light of the battle illuminated the commander's face in yellows and oranges, and shone off his long glossy hair, making it glow like dark amber. For a moment, his face bloomed into white light, cheekbones standing high and bright against his face as another human ship exploded in a burst of pale flame. Despite himself, the lieutenant laughed. Startled, the commander looked back.

"What?"

"Just you," managed the lieutenant, the last traces of the laugh turning into a cough, "I was thinking. If it's the end of the world, there are certainly worse people I could spend it with."

The commander smiled, and shook his head.

"It's not the end of the world yet. Let's see if your queen bee idea has any weight to it."

"If this plague I've caught kills me out here and my 'queen bee idea' wins you the war you better make a statue of me," the lieutenant said brightly.

"You aren't dying any time soon," the commander chided.

He glanced at the door, then, certain no one was there, bent forward and brushed his lips gently against the lieutenant's forehead. The kiss didn't linger long, but the commander drew away slowly, eyes closed as if he were trying to hold the moment in his head.

"What was that for?"

"You. Me. Luck," the commander hazarded, "Because I wanted to, mainly."

The lieutenant shook his head.

"You can kiss me  _after_  you win the war."

"I'll take that as a promise then."

Another moment passed between them.

"You need to get some rest," the commander finally said, turning back to his control panel, "I'll send someone to help you back to your room."

"I can walk,  _your highness_. I have a fever, not leprosy."

"Well then, as your commanding officer I _order_ you to get some rest, leprosy or not. We may need you yet."

The lieutenant stood, carefully, and turned towards the door.

"And, Madara," the commander said, voice soft, " _thank you_."

The lieutenant just smiled, and left.

Outside the ship, the battle raged. One way or another, the war was about to come to an end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some background:
> 
> This fic was born during a conversation with a close friend about Naruto and Ender's Game, and how much the two (weirdly) have in common. Both were written by straight men who miraculously wrote good characters and plot lines despite being Shitty Little Boys; both are immensely creative ideas somewhat ruined by their execution (aka the way Orson Scott Card and Kishimoto write their female characters and, generally, B*ruto's existence). When we got into specifics of plot and realized how many fun crossover concepts there are, this AU was born. Absurd as it is, I figured no one else was going to write it.
> 
> This is my first fan fiction, so treat me gently! I always appreciate comments of any kind, and I honestly can't wait to hear what people think of this kind of bizarre AU idea!


	2. Uzumaki

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> notes from the last chapter:  
> Hashirama's ship is called "The Avalon" primarily because I associate the Avalon myth with trees — Avalon is also called the "island of apple/fruit trees" in the original mythos.  
> 

The first time Naruto Uzumaki met an officer from the International Fleet, he was five years old, and the world had just ended.

The day had been sunny, blue skies stretching above like too-bright wall paper at a hospital. The man, who had introduced himself as "Hiruzen" and called himself a colonel, had stepped out of a black military van in his blue I.F. uniform and his silver and white medals, and had told Naruto he would never see his parents again. Naruto himself didn't remember the rest of the day, but later Iruka told him that he had kicked and screamed, and called the colonel a liar. All Naruto remembered was that night, when he finally ran out of tears, and stared blankly at the dark walls of his bedroom. He must have slept at some point. He was never sure.

The second time Naruto had met an officer of the fleet was at the funeral. They'd given him a suit to wear, and he stood holding Iruka's hand while men in uniform lowered two empty caskets into the ground.

 

* * *

 

Naruto's memories of his parents were few, and always seemed blurred at the edges. He remembered his dad's laugh, he thought, and the way his mother used to read him picture books. In the upstairs cupboard he still had dusty copies of _Fox in Socks_ by Dr. Seuss, and  _The Story of the Kind Wolf_  by Peter Nickl. Mostly, though, he remembered the stories. When he was in first grade he'd told the class proudly about how his parents had fought for the I.F., how they'd been heroes. He told his teachers that he wanted to grow up to be a starship captain, and it was true. As he grew older, his parents became more and more the stories he knew of brave heroes and battles in the sky, and less and less the two black coffins disappearing into the ground.

There was also, of course, the picture.

Colonel Hiruzen, who Iruka later told him to call "Mr. Sarutobi," had given it to him at the funeral. In the picture, his parents were standing together, arm in arm, and smiling warmly at the camera. They were dressed in the smart blue of the I.F., and they looked...happy. Now, even in his dreams, that's how his parents were: head to toe in uniform, his mom's fiery hair tied back in a tight bun, smiling arm in arm.

Sometimes, in the dreams, he wore the uniform too.

 

* * *

 

"Okay now, Mr. Uzumaki, now, I know you might be worried, but I _promise_  it won't hurt a bit," the nurse said, carefully dabbing at the back of his head with a disinfectant swab.

Naruto knew that when adults told a teenager something "wouldn't hurt a bit" it usually meant exactly the opposite, but he wasn't about to tell the nurse that. He squinted at her name tag as she finished painstakingly disinfecting him and gave him a bright but clearly worried smile.  _Carol_ , it said.

"The monitor is meant to be removed," she went on, one hand squeezing his shoulder gently, "It'll just pop right out, no problem."

He smiled and nodded. It seemed like the right thing to do.

"Now if you could wait just a moment, the doctor will be right with you. Now won't that be that nice?"

Carol was apparently the kind of person who dealt with worry by adding he word "now" to every other sentence, and suggesting that things would be, against all probability, nice.

As Carol slipped out of the room and gently closed the door, Naruto carefully reached a hand up to the back of his neck and traced a finger around the edge of the monitor. It was no more than about an inch across, and the metal felt warm to the touch. At night, when it was quiet enough, he could almost hear the tiny mechanisms inside humming, pulsing along with his heartbeat.

It had been two years now since the monitor had been installed. He remembered running downstairs in his pajamas the day his test results were set to arrive, and pestering Iruka all morning until he finally agreed, laughing, to open the envelope. To his delight, he had passed, and that night Iruka had taken him out to his favorite restaurant downtown to celebrate. They'd talked and laughed over twin bowls of ramen, and then, a month later they drove down to the hospital to get the monitor installed.

The I.F.'s aptitude tests consisted of both a written and a physical component. There were questions on strategy, tests of endurance and fitness, word problems, equations, and logic puzzles, and Naruto had studied nonstop for weeks before the tests to be sure he'd pass. The way he saw it, the aptitude tests were only step one on the road to becoming a hero — a commander. First, he'd pass the tests. Second, the I.F. would see, through the monitor, that he had what it took to be a leader. Third, he always imagined, he'd be straight off to the stars.

Now, at fifteen, he recognized that things might not be quite that simple.

There was a soft click as the door opened again, and a man in a crisp white doctor's uniform walked in, clipboard in hand.

"Naruto Uzumaki?"

"That's me!"

The doctor nodded, flicking through a couple pages of notes.

"Good. Now, Naruto," he said, sitting down and setting his clipboard on the table, "I'd like to talk to you a bit about this procedure. Are you worried at all? Nervous?"

"The nurse said it wouldn't hurt a bit," he said, and shrugged, "And anyway, I can take it."

"I'm sure you can, but I'm more concerned about what happens  _after_ we remove the monitor. A lot of patients report a sense of loss — a feeling that something is missing. This is perfectly normal. You'll probably feel disoriented for a couple days, like you're looking for something but can't remember what it is. It's the monitor. It's been part of your nervous system long enough, it's bound to leave you feeling confused."

Naruto nodded slowly.

"I understand."

"Wonderful. Now, just stay seated right there, and take some deep breaths. You can close your eyes if you want. You're going to be just fine."

Naruto did close his eyes, and clenched his fists hard enough that he barely felt it as the doctor gently twisted something at the back of his head. He did, however, feel it when a burning spike of pain shot through his body, all the way from his head to his toes. He clenched his teeth, and tried not to make a whimpering sound as the pain slowly faded. In a few moments, something cool and damp was resting against his head, and his skin stopped feeling like fire and went back to being plain flesh. He opened his eyes, blinking away a couple stray tears and he carefully unclenched his fists. The doctor was in front of him now, looking pleased but concerned.

"You were very brave. I'll write you a prescription for a pain medication in case the headache comes back."

Naruto's head was swimming. On the table in front of him was a small lump of metal. There was barely any blood, but he felt like a chunk of flesh had been carved out of him. The pain was fading, though. Some kids had it worse — classmates who'd had their monitor in for three or four years had passed out in the hospital when it was removed.

Carol returned after that to bandage his head and check his vitals. When she finally ushered him out of the room, she gave him a big thumbs up, which he felt was a bit patronizing, and a lollipop, which he felt was only fair.

"Good job, Mr. Uzumaki," she beamed, "I'm glad you're okay."

"Me too!" he grinned, and, slowly, made his way into the waiting room.

It wasn't until he reached the car that his vision blurred, and a ghost of the pain shot through his body again. Now, though, warm brown hands caught his shoulders, and helped him into his seat.

"Hey kid," said Iruka, "Take a deep breath. I have some pain killer in the glove compartment."

 

* * *

 

Three chewable children's Tylenols later, Naruto was slumped in the front seat of the car, hoodie pulled tight over his eyes, groaning like a dying soldier on the battlefield.

"That bad, huh?"

Naruto risked a peek out from under his hood, wincing at the bright light.

"You have no fucking idea."

"Naruto, that isn't any way to–"

"I'm  _dying_ , I can say fuck if I want to."

Iruka snorted.

"I suppose you can, my brave little soldier."

Naruto let out another groan at this, but Iruka just laughed. The motor of the car hummed gently as they left the hospital parking lot and merged onto the highway. After a few minutes' silence (and after Naruto's moaning had subsided a bit), Iruka glanced over at him in the passenger seat.

"So," he said, "How did it go?"

"I got a lollipop," offered Naruto.

"What kind?"

Naruto just shrugged and turned away. Another moment passed.

"Do you think they'd tell me if I was no good?" he finally said, voice small, "I mean. I didn't really do anything that big while it was in. I figured they'd give it another year, and I'd...I dunno."

Iruka thought for a few moments.

"I think there's no way to know what the fleet is looking for," he said diplomatically, "and maybe they'd tell you, maybe not. Who knows, maybe the I.F. hasn't decided yet."

"I guess."

Naruto turned in his seat to stare out the window at the buildings and exit signs flying past, and Iruka drummed his fingers lightly on the steering wheel.

"Hey," he finally said, and Naruto glanced back at him, "Battle School isn't the only way, you know."

"It's the easiest, though. The surest."

"Maybe, but maybe it's just another piece of paper. Your mom and dad didn't go to some army school. Hashirama Senju just came from a small town in the middle of nowhere! If you're serious about this, then the teachers at battle school can't stop you. You're the son of heroes! And...well, I like to think I taught you a thing or two too."

Naruto stared at him a moment, then smiled lightly.

"You taught me  _everything_ , Iruka."

"Well, I don't know if that's true," the man said, grinning, "You picked up a few things on your own, too."

Naruto mimed an elegant bow, or at least as close as he could get to one through the migraine, and Iruka laughed.

"Hey," Naruto said after a few moments, "It was strawberry, by the way."

"Hm?"

"The lollipop. You did ask."

 

* * *

 

That night, Naruto lay awake. The green-white light of his digital clock ticked to 1:00 AM, and he sighed, turning over onto his back and splaying his arms and legs across his mattress. He'd spent a half hour before bed trying to shake the nagging feeling that something was missing, that he was forgetting something — at 12:15 Iruka had peeked his head in the door and asked what was wrong.

He'd told Naruto it was the monitor. He wasn't sure if he believed him.

He closed his eyes and tried to mentally go through everything he knew about the monitor program. He remembered spending a Saturday afternoon looking up every detail the internet had about the strange devices back when he'd first set himself on taking the aptitude tests, and the details had stuck. The program had been founded maybe ten years before Naruto was born, as part of the creation of Battle School, the I.F. training facility for young military officers. Reports on what exactly it did varied, but the general consensus online was that the monitor let I.F. scientists essentially "see through your eyes," tapping into the wearer's central nervous system and recording its electric activity. Beyond the visual and audio components, though, no one could seem to agree on exactly how far the monitor's influence could go. Some claimed it recorded thoughts and feelings, others that it was limited to sensory input and physical movement. Either way, it was a scientific marvel, and the best portal into a person's life and mind the government had to offer.

For the past two years, Naruto had imagined the day the monitor was removed as a grand beginning. The tests were how the I.F. measured intelligence, but the monitor was, for most people, the really important part. The monitor revealed potential leaders. Now, though, Naruto couldn't help but wonder what exactly his monitor had shown the officials at Battle School. Two years of public school, average grades, average friends. Two years of normal life.

Beside him, the clock face ticked to 1:45. He groaned, twisting over to lie on his stomach and bury his face in a pillow. Maybe Iruka was right. If he was going to become a commander, he had to make it happen himself, Battle School or not.

He supposed it would be nice to have a couple more years of civilian life. He was  _going_ to be a hero, but, for now, he'd settle for peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Age is pretty flexible in this fic — the gaps between canon characters' ages have been adjusted to fit their roles in the story, and the age requirements for battle school in Ender's Game have been raised so I don't have to write romance with literal children.  
> Also, big round of applause to Carol the nurse for being possibly the only non-canon named character who will appear in this fic.


	3. The Test

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> notes from last chapter:  
> picture books! Fox in Socks was an obvious choice for Naruto because of the kyuubi. The Story of the Kind Wolf is just personally nostalgic to me (even though I was convinced it was called "The Kindly Wolf"), and I felt like its vibe fit Naruto's determination to help save people even though the village was originally scared of him.

"Mr. Uzumaki?"

It was the next morning, and Naruto half wished he hadn't woken up. His head ached, and the feeling of something missing had lingered for hours. He'd nearly been late for school after he'd spent ten minutes staring distractedly at his dresser, trying and failing to remember what the missing thing was. He absently wondered if he should take more painkiller before lunch.

"Mr. Uzumaki!"

He looked up. The teacher was staring at him in exasperation.

"If you can't stay awake in my class then you are perfectly welcome to take a nap in the  _principal's_ office."

Naruto felt his cheeks burn red, and he was about to protest when a voice from a few desks to his right interrupted his thoughts.

"It's his monitor, Professor. He got it out yesterday."

He glanced over at the speaker, a fragile looking boy with pale skin and straight dark hair. The boy smiled back at him sheepishly, and he grinned.

"I see," said the teacher, grudgingly, "In that case, Mr. Uzumaki can escort himself to the nurse's office."

 There was a tense moment of silence before Naruto realized that this last bit was less a request than an order. He quickly straightened in his seat and gave a lazy salute.

"Yes sir!"

The teacher wasn't amused.

 

* * *

 

Fifteen minutes (along with two more chewable child painkillers — Iruka had put some in his backpack) later, and Naruto sat on a bench outside the nurse's office, slumped against the wall. The nurse had said he was mostly fine, just that he should rest for a few minutes and wait for the migraine to clear. He figured it was a good enough excuse to skip the rest of the class, too.

After a quick glance around the hallway, he reached into a pocket and pulled out his phone. He dialed a number, and, after a few soft rings, the phone went to Iruka's voicemail.

"Shit," he mumbled as the recorded message ended, "I mean, um, sorry. I was hoping you'd pick up."

Behind him, the nurse poked her head out of the door to the office, and gave him a questioning look.

"Ah! Sorry, just leaving a voicemail."

The nurse gave him a soft smile, and a brief thumbs up. Grinning, he went back to his call.

"Anyway, don't worry if you see this, everything's fine. I'm just taking a breather from class. Call me during your lunch break, 'kay?"

He paused, checking one more time that the hall was empty.

"Love you. Bye," he finished softly, and hung up.

Well. What exactly had he expected? Iruka worked about an hour away at a local elementary school. Of course he was busy on a school day. Biting his lip, Naruto picked his phone up again, and quickly skimmed through his text conversations. The first was Iruka again, the second was — he winced — a message about running out of cell data. The rest were a couple friends who were probably in class right now and a scattering of spam threads, nothing special. Sighing, he pocketed the phone again.

His headache really was going away now, and with the nurse checking in on him every few minutes he couldn't stay in the hallway forever. He glanced up at the clock. If he really took his time, he could make it back to class with only ten minutes left in first period. This wouldn't win him any points with the teacher, but he had a feeling nothing would today.

Grimacing, he stood, and set off towards the classroom. He'd take the long way today.

Naruto wasn't sure what had made his teachers decide to hate him this year. He hadn't exactly been popular back in middle school, but he'd gotten along well enough with at least a few teachers at the school. The rest had just tolerated him, but they'd left him alone. Of course, the monitor complicated things.

Naruto's test scores were never great in school — even when he could force himself to stay focused long enough to sit for an exam, he really couldn't bring himself to care enough about topics like geometry to study much at home. The tests for the fleet were different. Most of them were more abstract, tests on personality and critical thinking. There was a hefty algebra section on the tests, but it at least was _applied_ math. That much he could tolerate. Math aside, Naruto even liked certain parts of the fleet tests; logic puzzles were infinitely more fun than quadratic equations. But the main thing which made the aptitude tests different was that he knew they really  _meant_ something. School tests meant something in an abstract sense. He knew Iruka was disappointed when he brought home a C, and he had a vague understanding that doing badly in high school would affect his professional future, but the way he saw it he was destined for greater things.

The way his teachers saw it, though, he was destined to fail. His classmates seemed to agree, too — the overachievers thought he was an idiot, and everyone else figured he thought the monitor made him better than them. In middle school he'd gotten his fair share of name calling, but now he got "dumbass" from one side and "genius boy" from the other. Neither side seemed to mean it as a compliment.

At this point, Naruto absently noticed that he was only a few paces away from the door to his classroom. A quick glance at his phone told him that he still had around fifteen minutes to kill before he got a free period, so he turned town a hallway and made his way towards the men's bathroom. May as well have a viable excuse.

When he came to the door of the bathroom, though, he heard voices. Frowning, he carefully opened the door a crack, and pressed his ear against the barely open doorway.

"I don't want any trouble, and I'm sure you don't either," said a familiar voice. Risking a peek, Naruto saw a shadow of a boy, backed up into the corner of the room. His hair was dark, and fell limply against his pale skin. It was the boy who spoke up for him in class. Four taller boys surrounded him, and, from what Naruto could see, they didn't look like they were there to talk.

"I'm sure you don't, you fucking fairy. You and the genius think you're so smart," began the tallest of the boys.

Naruto gritted his teeth, fist clenching against the handle of the door. He took a deep, slow breath, and reminded himself that getting into a fight was the last thing he needed right now. He could go get a teacher, and the whole thing would be over with.

"Considering what you're bringing to the table I'd say the bar for intelligence is pretty low," said the boy, voice calm and clear.

Naruto cursed under his breath. At this rate the kid was going to get himself beat up before Naruto could get help.

"Fuck it," he muttered, and opened the door as loudly and dramatically as possible. The three bullies jumped, and he felt a momentary thrill of satisfaction.

He strode into the room without looking up, making a show of yawning and stretching. When he made as if to walk forward towards the urinals, though, the boys didn't budge.

"Um, 'scuse me?"

Only one of the three looked like a real problem. The other two were scrawny and puffy faced, stuck in the awkward limbo period of puberty, but the tallest had some muscle on him. Naruto also took a mental note that the other two kept glancing to their apparent ringleader every few seconds.

"I gotta take a piss if it's all the same to you," he offered, putting his hands in his pockets.

Again, the bullies didn't move. The dark haired boy behind them stared at him oddly, eyebrows slightly creased as if waiting to see what Naruto would do next.

"We want to talk to you," said the ringleader, crossing his arms.

"Recess is in a few minutes," offered Naruto, trying to keep his expression sunny and relaxed. One of the other two bullies had sauntered behind him, blocking off his exit. Naruto figured he could take one of the boys in a fight pretty easy, but he wasn't sure about all three.

"Let's talk now."

Naruto felt a wave of dread come over him, but he forced himself to smile and nod. Talking was fine.

"Sure, just the four of us," he managed, giving the dark haired boy a meaningful look, "Hey, could you let Mr. Brown know we'll be a minute?"

"He can stay too."

The boy gave him a tight and careful smile, and despite himself Naruto felt his hands ball into fists inside his pockets. So. It _was_ going to be a fight, then.

"How does it feel to have the fleet's little security camera gone, genius boy?" asked one of the smaller lackeys, "Fucking failed their test, didn't you."

"And you know what that means, genius boy?"

That was the other one, the one behind him.

"What?" asked Naruto, forcing himself not to turn around and leave his back open to the other two.

"It means no one's gonna come running if you get hurt. No more nanny watching everything you do. Understand?"

"I guess so..." Naruto's eyes darted around the room, trying to find...something. What, a second door? A way out? Behind him, he heard a soft footstep. The kid behind him was getting closer.

Naruto saw the ringleader start to form a fist and didn't wait for him to finish. Instead, he shoved his way past the lackey on his right and ran into the other side of the bathroom. Startled, the three bullies ran after him, leaving the dark haired boy a clear route to the door.

"Run for it!" Naruto shouted, "Grab a teacher!"

The bully in front of him snarled, and lunged at him, but he managed to clumsily sidestep. Now though, he was pinned against a stall door. He heard the bathroom door swing shut; the kid had gotten away. He, however, was still here.

The bullies were grinning now, closing in around him like circling vultures. Despite himself, Naruto smiled too. It had been years since he'd gotten in a good fight. Having a monitor meant less bruises and bloody noses, but it also meant less fun.

"The fuck are you smiling about?" one of the bullies growled.

Naruto's smile broadened into a grin. This seemed to unnerve the bullies more.

"Just wishing I had three fists," he said amiably, lowering himself into a fighting stance, "You know. One for each of you."

He didn't give them time to laugh at his joke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep having to split chapters from my outline in two, so the fic is getting longer and longer. Whoops. The "dark haired boy" in this chapter is a canon character, but not one who will have a large role in the plot for a while. Props to you if you can guess who it is and why he's involved.
> 
> The next chapter ("The Offer") might be on the shorter side, but we'll get some new characters and the plot will really get moving starting pretty soon.


	4. The Offer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes from last chapter:  
> No easter eggs there really, at least nothing which won't be revealed in-plot. Just as a fun fact I'm sticking fairly close to the original plot of Ender's Game for these first few chapters, party because this is a derivative work and partly to help settle you guys into the world.

"Two broken noses, a broken _rib_ , god knows how many cuts and bruises — do you have anything to say for yourself?"

Naruto glowered at the principal across the desk.

"They started it," he muttered, and mentally kicked himself at how immature he sounded. The principal sneered.

"They said you struck first, Mr. Uzumaki. You threw the first punch."

"But–"

"Really, the government decides you're some sort of genius, and with all that _intellect_ you honestly expect me to believe that the boy who walked away with nothing but a bloody nose is the  _victim_?"

Naruto shrugged and looked away. It wasn't his fault the bullies were idiots who'd apparently never taken a punch before.

"But what about the kid? I mean, there was this dark haired boy from my class, he was–"

"What was his name?" the principal snapped.

"I don't know, but he–"

"Mr. Uzumaki, I don't care if your imaginary witness was there or not. You caused some serious injuries, and I  _will_ be speaking to your family about this. Your...guardian is on his way. Once he arrives, we'll–"

There was a knock at the door, and the principal gave a brittle little smile.

"Excellent. He's here. Come in, Mr. Umino."

The door opened.

"Sorry I'm late," said a soft, drowsy voice, "You wouldn't believe the traffic around here."

Standing in the doorway was a tall, lean man with unruly silver hair and a vaguely bored expression. The lower half of his face was obscured by a black scarf, and his hands were stuck in the pockets of a dark gray pullover hoodie. Over this he wore an open jacket, slightly rumpled but still a familiar shade of blue. Naruto's eyes widened.

"Who are you? Get out of my office, I'll–" the principal began, but the man held up a hand.

"My name is Kakashi Hatake. I'm a colonel with the International Fleet."

At this, the principal fell suddenly and completely silent. Naruto had to stop himself from outright laughing as the man's face twisted into an expression that was equal parts annoyance and awe. Naruto could understand why, too. Kakashi looked no more than maybe thirty years old, just over half the principals age, but a colonel was a colonel. Naruto liked to think that he wasn't a petty and vindictive person, but. Well. Seeing the man who'd spent the last half hour yelling at him gaping and floundering like a goldfish certainly had its charm. Kakashi, though, seemed mostly uninterested in the effect he was having on the principal. He was also rummaging in his pockets for something.

"Damn it, I swear I brought it with me..." he muttered, before shrugging off his uniform jacket and inspecting its pockets too. Naruto and the principal just watched, mouths open.

"Aha!" the man finally said, brandishing a wallet in the air like some kind of trophy, "Here."

He withdrew a small laminated I.D. card from the wallet, and slid it across the table to the principal, who stared at it a moment, then instantly saluted as if he'd been hit with an electric shock.

"Sir," he managed, eyes still glued to the I.D., "What brings you to our, uh, humble school?"

"Well as a matter of fact," replied the colonel, reaching back across the table and returning his card to his wallet, "he does."

The man was staring at Naruto.

"Me?" Naruto managed, glancing nervously between the principal and the colonel.

"Yup."

"But, sir," the principal cut in, "I see no reason for the Fleet to involve itself in a matter such as this. The boys this _delinquent_  injured are–"

"Oh, I'm afraid you've misunderstood," Kakashi said, "I'm not here about the fight. I'm here about...education."

The principal stared at him blankly, but the colonel just smiled.

"As you said, the Fleet wouldn't send me earthside for a domestic issue. You see, professor," he said patiently, moving to stand behind Naruto's chair, "as a colonel of the I.F., I'm concerned with the molding of young minds. Much like yourself, I'm sure. While I do serve in the military proper, my more permanent assignment is as a teacher. I'm a professor of military history and tactics. At Battle School."

Kakashi paused before the last three words, letting them land like a proclamation on his captive audience. There was a moment of shocked silence, and the colonel grinned, as if pleased by the effect. Naruto absently wondered whether Kakashi was just as petty and vindictive as he was underneath his veil of disinterest, but most of his brain was still ringing from the words "Battle School."

Naruto had spent the last 24 hours trying to come to terms with the idea that he had failed. Years of dreams, and plans, and researching everything he could about the I.F., and then he was just...done. No roll of thunder, not even a dramatic exit, just "thanks so much, sorry for the trouble, get back to normal life." And now, normal life was splitting open at the seams.

"But, sir," the principal finally managed, "I was told the Uzumaki boy was a failure. His monitor was removed and-"

Again, Kakashi just held a hand up, as if directing traffic, and the principal's mouth closed. Naruto blinked. He really had to learn how to do that.

"Our decision is not yet...final," he said carefully, lowering his hand and stuffing it lazily into a pocket, "That's why I'm here. And now, I think it's my time to leave. I'll take the boy home — his guardian has already been informed that this meeting is cancelled."

"But the boys–"

"The I.F. will pay for any medical expenses and legal fees. In the meantime I see no reason to hold Mr. Uzumaki here, do you?"

The principal looked icy.

"No, sir."

"Excellent!" Kakashi said, then turned to face Naruto, "Now. Would you mind coming with me, Naruto? I'll drive you home."

Naruto gave one last glance to the fuming principal, then grinned, and stood up. He took a breath, and let his lungs fill with the old, stuffy, familiar smell of the high school. Dust, old linoleum, waxy textbook covers, a kind of smoke and tobacco that the teachers and janitors never could seem to get rid of.

He wouldn't miss this place.

"Lead the way, mister."

 

* * *

 

The first thing Naruto noticed about Kakashi's car was the smell. It didn't smell bad, per say, but it definitely smelled confusing. The rear view mirror was hung with a dark green Christmas-tree-shaped air freshener which filled the car with a strong impression of artificial pine. Beneath that, though, there was a definite hint of dog. There was also a small blue chew-toy on the floor in front of the passenger seat. Naruto grimaced, and kicked it out of the way before swinging his legs in and buckling the seatbelt.

"Do you have a dog?" Naruto asked as Kakashi turned the key in the ignition, and the car rumbled to life.

"No, I'm not earthside often enough for that. But a man makes do."

Naruto stared at him blankly.

"I dog-sit, when I'm on leave," the man elaborated, "There are some fliers if you want one. Glove compartment."

"Oh," Naruto mumbled, frowning. He decided not to take a flier.

They drove for a few minutes in silence, and Naruto felt his initial shock and elation at meeting another officer from the Fleet start to subside. It was hard to keep up your enthusiasm in a car which rumbled along like it could break down at any given moment. Didn't the fleet pay the colonel enough to buy a better ride? Naruto glanced over at Kakashi, and narrowed his eyes. Underneath the jacket, he was just a kinda rumpled man in faded jeans and an oversized hoodie. He dressed more like a teenager than a high ranking official.

After squinting at Kakashi for a few more moments, he broke the silence.

"You don't look much like a fleet officer."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. You're all...rumply and stuff. And where's the rest of your uniform?"

Kakashi shrugged.

"It's in here somewhere. I'm on leave, remember."

"Then why are you here? What do I have to do with your vacation?"

"Coming and recruiting happy little children like you is how officers in the Fleet _get_ shore leave."

Naruto glared.

"I'm not a kid."

"My bad I'm sure — recruiting happy little  _young men_ , then."

Naruto bit back another retort. Patronizing or not, this man obviously held the keys to...what. His future? Battle school? Naruto sighed and turned to face the passenger seat window. It all seemed sort of surreal.

"So..." he finally said, "I didn't fail after all."

"Not really," Kakashi said amiably, "Although you did come close."

"What do you fucking mean 'came close'!" Naruto snapped, whirling back to face the man.

"Oh my, the boy's got a temper," the colonel laughed, "I take a left here, yes? I had your address requisitioned but, well, you know how those online maps can be sometimes."

Naruto didn't respond.

"I'll take that as a yes."

There was another long, uncomfortable silence. Naruto gritted his teeth, and tried to take a deep breath. Less than an hour into being accepted, or scouted, or... _whatevered_ for command and he was already lashing out, talking back, making a fuss. Maybe the tests were right to almost fail him. To his left, Kakashi cleared his throat, and spared Naruto a brief sympathetic glance.

"We'll talk about your situation at home, with your godfather," the man finally said, "And you can stop glaring now, your eyes are watering."

Naruto blinked heavily — the colonel was right — and turned back to the road. They were only a few blocks away now.

"I promise you, Naruto," Kakashi added, softly, "that you haven't done anything wrong. We just need to talk. There are some choices which need to be made."

"Is that what you meant by the decision not being final?" Naruto asked.

"More or less. It'll all become clear. Now, we take a right here, correct?"

Naruto nodded, and the car set off down the road.

"My house is on the right. Right about...here."

Kakashi parked the car.

"You live alone with your godfather, yes?" Kakashi said as they got out, and began walking to the front door.

"Mhm."

"Well. This should be entertaining, then," Kakashi said.

He gave the door a few smart knocks, then stepped back. Inside, Naruto heard the sound of hurried footsteps.

"Who is it?" came a hesitant voice.

"Me!" Naruto responded, grinning despite himself at the sound of Iruka's voice, "I'm home early!"

When Iruka opened the door, his face instantly melted from a look of worry to one of relief, then confusion.

"I– Kakashi?" he sputtered.

The colonel gave a polite little wave.

"Hello, Iruka. It's been a long time."

 

* * *

 

"Here, sit down, sit down. I can make us all some tea, if you'd like?"

"That'd be lovely."

Naruto was sitting in one of the wooden chairs from the dining table — Iruka had insisted Kakashi sit in the comfy living room chair,  _of course_  — and scowling.

"So you two know each other?"

"We went to high school together!" Iruka said from the kitchen, and Kakashi nodded.

"Just for a year. After that, I was scouted."

"Scouted?"

"For Battle School. The monitor program was still fairly new those days, so most of the evaluations were done in person."

Naruto's eyes widened. He knew in theory that Battle School had existed long enough by now that some of the current officers in the Fleet must be graduates, but he never thought he'd meet one. Most people in the military these days were still pulled from schools on earth, or normal recruitment.

"There!" Iruka said, coming back from the kitchen with a teapot and a few mugs on a tray, "Just let it brew a few minutes. Kakashi, do you take sugar?"

"No, thank you."

"I do," Naruto grumbled, and Iruka just laughed.

"So, what brings you here? When I got a phone call from the school and  _then_ the fleet I didn't know what to think."

"I'm one of the acting commandants of Battle School, at the moment, as well as a teacher. This month, I'm earthside to recruit new students."

Iruka frowned.

"Forgive me if I'm wrong, but...well, don't officers only show up to recruit students who weren'tpart of the monitor program?"

"Usually, yes, and I've been doing plenty of that as well. But your godson is a special case."

"How?" Naruto said, screwing up his eyebrows, "I mean. You said I might not even get in, didn't you? How is that a special case?"

"May I be blunt?" Kakashi asked, reaching forward and pouring himself a mug of tea.

Iruka nodded, and Naruto scowled. The colonel hadn't asked permission to be an asshole on the car ride over.

"Well," continued Kakashi, "Naruto's test scores were only just above the minimum required to pass. We have admitted students with lower scores, but not many, and not in recent years."

Naruto felt his stomach turn to ice. Iruka gave him a worried glance, and opened his mouth to speak, but Naruto didn't let him.

"You gave me a monitor! The letter said I passed!"

"And you did. That's part of why we gave you the monitor — to see if your personal strengths were enough to outweigh the raw numbers."

 Naruto had no response to that.

"Did they?" Iruka asked.

"The monitor results didn't, no," Kakashi said, taking a careful sip of his tea.

"Then why are you here?"

"Call me traditional, but I have my doubts about the monitor program," Kakashi said, "Students act differently when they know their actions are being watched — the same applies to their peers."

Through the fog of hurt and confusion, Naruto found himself wondering if Kakashi was right. He remembered what the bullies in the boy's bathroom had said, that the I.F.'s "security camera" was gone. They never would have tried to pick a fight when they knew someone was watching.

"For many students," Kakashi continued, "the real test comes _after_ the monitor is removed. When students are plunged back into the real world after living in a bubble for years, that's when they get a chance to show what they're made of. Like Naruto here."

"So...you know about the fight?" Naruto asked, frowning.

" _Fight?"_

"How did you find out about that?" Naruto said, carefully avoiding Iruka's glare, "I mean. No one was there. The teachers just think I beat some kids up."

Kakashi shrugged.

"We have our sources."

"Kakashi," Iruka interrupted, "what exactly did Naruto  _do_?"

"Ah, of course," Kakashi said amiably, "It's only right you should know. Today, Naruto overheard a classmate getting bullied by three boys in his grade. When it became clear that the boy was in danger, he intervened."

Naruto frowned. There had been no one in the hallway at the time, and none of the teachers even believed his side of the story in the first place. Unless the I.F. really had cameras everywhere, which he doubted, there was no way Kakashi could know the details of what happened. But the colonel was going on.

"He managed to surprise the bullies, and found an opening for his classmate to get away. After that, he did what he could."

"What he could?"

Kakashi smiled.

"Two broken noses and a broken rib. Impressive, really, when fighting three-to-one."

Iruka's eyes widened, and Naruto wanted to sink into the floor.

"I didn't mean to break any bones..." he mumbled.

Before Iruka could say anything, though, Kakashi went on.

"I want to stress to you, Mr. Umino, that Naruto did nothing wrong. In fact, he performed excellently. He tried to get help from a teacher before resorting to violence, and, when he did, he was efficient, careful, and decisive. He did enough damage to subdue the enemy without risking his own safety, and escaped with only a few bruises. The fight was an excellent display of tactics and leadership."

Naruto hadn't expected this. He could feel Iruka holding back a lecture across the room, but when Kakashi talked about the fight he looked... _excited_. That was the word for it, too. Not proud, not relieved, but excited, like a scientist watching an experiment unfold. And, well, despite feeling a bit like he was under a microscope, Naruto felt excited too.

"So, that's what got me in?"

"In a way, yes," Kakashi said, and Naruto frowned again.

"In a way? Spit it out, old man, did I pass or not?"

Kakashi's eyes met his, and, for the first time that night, neither looked away.

"You did," the colonel said carefully, "but you have a choice. Regardless of your actions today, your test scores are far below average. You  _will_ be overwhelmed at Battle School. You may take the longest in your class to master basic subjects. You may feel alone, unwanted, and want to go home. But if you agree to enter the school, you  _can't_."

Naruto stared at the man, trying to process his words.

"So, you think I shouldn't go?"

"On the contrary, I think you may well become an excellent soldier. But it won't be easy. And there's no way out. Conscripts make good canon fodder, but for a commander we need volunteers, volunteers who understand what they're signing up for. So the choice is yours."

Naruto felt a shiver run through him at the word  _commander_.

"I understand," he began, but Iruka cut him off.

"And what if I don't want him to go?"

Naruto turned to look at his godfather, to argue, but Iruka's eyes were fixed on the ground.

"He could go to school here," the man continued softly, "maybe a military academy, if he decides that's what he wants. He could stay on Earth. His life doesn't need to be– I mean he doesn't need to be...alone."

But Kakashi was shaking his head.

"I'm sorry, Iruka," he said gently, "but you gave up any claims on the boy's future the minute you signed him on to take the tests. The decision is for Naruto Uzumaki and the International Fleet. No one else."

Iruka didn't respond.

And in that moment, Naruto understood something. He saw how his godfather felt, faced with the idea that he wouldn't be coming home, not for years at least. He felt part of himself — the part that had grown up with this man, the part that had already given up when the monitor was removed — wanting to stay. It would be easy. His life would be happy, and empty, and fine, here on Earth. And it would make Iruka happy. For that, it was almost worth it.

But he also understood that there were other parts of him. Parts wrapped around a photo of his parents, stuffed in a box upstairs. Dreams he was just starting to grow into. Staying would mean giving up, and Dad wouldn't have given up. Mom wouldn't have. And they  _didn't_. They didn't give up, and they were gone, and so he had to leave too. He hoped Iruka would understand.

"I'll go," Naruto said, then grinned, "Somebody's got to beat the buggers, yeah? Never said it'd be easy."

Five minutes later, and Naruto had signed away the next four years of his life. And in that moment he decided that, no matter what, he was never going to regret it.

 

* * *

 

_After Kakashi said his goodbyes and got back into his car, he pulled out a phone, and quickly dialed a number. After a moment, there was a soft metallic click, and a voice greeted him from the other end._

_"Colonel Hatake? I hope you're bringing me good news, for once."_

_"I hope so, General. It's the Uzumaki boy. He's in."_

_"And you think he might make it?"_

_"We can only hope."_

_"He'd better. We haven't got much time, you know."_

_"I'm aware."_

_"And what of the Uchiha boy? He showed promise, as I recall."_

_"I'm doing the best I can. I'll have the Uchiha situation confirmed in the next few days."_

_"Take your time. We don't want a repeat of the brother."_

_"Of course."_

_"I'm glad we agree. Just remember that if this all fails, part of it is on your head too, Colonel."_

_"I know. I'll see you in a week, General. You'll have my report by the end of the night."_

_"I expect I will. And try not to be obtuse, Colonel. You're not writing a dissertation."_

_"Understood."_

_"I doubt it, but you're dismissed. Enjoy your vacation."_

_Kakashi grimaced, and hung up. He glanced over at Iruka's house one last time._

_"Sorry, old friend," he murmured._

_Quietly, he drove away._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next: "Launch"  
> Sasuke incoming, along with a flock of canon side characters. Also, space. I'll be a fun ride.  
> Also, remember how I said this chapter would be "on the shorter side?" Well, as you can tell that didn't exactly go as planned. Whoops.


	5. Launch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes from last chapter:  
> Mysterious stranger on the phone? Who could it be? Again I have nothing to say about last chapter that isn't a spoiler. Read on.

The week practically flew by in Naruto’s mind. Iruka pulled him out of school — why bother, when he was about to leave anyway — and let him spend most of his time at home. It was a flurry of home cooked meals, living room viewings of Naruto’s favorite movies, and hesitant, gentle looks from Iruka. Naruto knew his godfather wasn’t taking it well, but, guilty as it made him feel, he didn’t really care. His world buzzed with energy and excitement, and, before he knew it, the week was over. Iruka cried, a bit. Naruto did too. But he still just managed to make it out the door by six in the morning, and now, an hour later, he was standing in the doorway of the ship that would take him off-world. To Battle School.

Naruto took a deep breath, letting the cold, metallic smell of the ship fill his lungs. The air was crisp and pumped full of oxygen, and cold enough that he was almost shivering. He was glad he brought a jacket. As he scanned the rows of seats, he absently wondered why they had to keep it so cold.

The ship was full of teenagers. Most of them were around Naruto’s age, and — his heart sank — most of them had already clumped together into small groups of three or four, talking, laughing, and getting to know each other. Maybe some of them even knew each other from school. In a few moments, Naruto took in their smiling faces, their perfect skin, and their clothes. A lot of the boys wore starched white shirts, or crisp polos. He forced a grin, and started to walk as confidently as he could down the aisle.

Iruka had warned him that a lot of Battle School students probably came from wealthy families who could afford private schools and fancy tutors to help their children prepare for the tests. Seeing them face to face, Naruto could see what he meant. There were too many faces here he could imagine spending the day at “daddy’s golf course,” or talking amiably with investment bankers. Well, he knew that wasn’t exactly fair. Naruto himself wasn’t poor, per say, and most of these kids were probably dressed to impress anyway. But there was something about these teenagers that made Naruto feel like an outcast already. How many of them had test scores anywhere near his? How many of them made it here on a whim?

As Naruto’s brain went in circles about private schools and test scores, his eyes quickly found that there was only one seat available on the ship. It was near the front, with only two rows between it and the entrance to the cockpit. It made sense, in a way, that there would be exactly as many passengers as there were seats. Space travel was still expensive. Naruto sighed, and made his way towards the seat, cursing himself silently for taking so long getting out the door. Just his luck that he was the last one to board.

Then he stopped cold. The seat next to his was occupied, of course. He’d expected that. But the boy in the seat was staring at Naruto.

The boy had soft, slightly pale skin, as if he didn’t get out much, but nothing about his expression said soft. His thin, delicate brows were knit together slightly, and his lips were pressed in a faint frown. He didn’t look angry — Naruto could have dealt with anger. Instead, he just looked displeased, as if the flight attendant had offered him a sub-par meal. Naruto risked a nervous glance behind him, but no, _of course_ the boy was staring at _him_. Forcing himself to smile, Naruto carefully approached the empty seat.

“Mind if I sit here?” he asked, one hand absently scratching at the back of his head as if to feign some kind of nonchalance.

The boy just stared at him. His eyes were large and dark, framed by long lashes.

“It’s the last seat,” the boy finally said, “You don’t need to ask.”

Naruto nervously cleared his throat, and nodded. The boy’s voice was low and precise. Not sharp, but crisp enough that his words had weight.

“I’m Naruto Uzumaki,” he said, carefully sitting down and offering a hand. The boy glanced at it, but didn’t take it.

“Sasuke Uchiha,” he said, looking away.

Naruto frowned at the name. It sounded familiar. Before he could place it, though, there was a low whistle from the row behind them.

“Seriously? The famous military family? Fuckin’ sick!”

The speaker was a boy with deep tanned skin and a mop of spiky brown hair. He wore a brown fur-lined jacket, and now he was leaning forward to rest his chin and arms on the back of Naruto’s seat. His eyes were wide, and he was staring shamelessly at the two boys in front of him like he was watching a reality TV show. Sasuke didn’t even give the boy a glance. Unperturbed, the boy turned to Naruto.

“They say every Uchiha in the last three generations has been an officer,” he whispered conspiratorially, “and every one of them that’s applied to Battle School has gotten in. With _honors_. Cool, right?”

Naruto nodded emphatically, risking a quick glance at Sasuke, who seemed to be ignoring the conversation.

“Your name’s Naruto, right?” the brown haired boy asked, flopping back down into his seat, “I’m Kiba. Kiba Inuzuka.”

“Nice to meet you,” Naruto said, risking a small grin.

“Hell yeah it’s nice to meet me! S’nice to meet you, too!”

The boy grinned back. Naruto repeated the name to himself a few times: Kiba, Kiba, Kiba. Well. Maybe not every kid on the flight was a preppy asshole after all. There were at least a few assholes of the normal kind, too. Naruto smiled to himself, and relaxed back a bit into his seat before turning to face Kiba again.

“Hey, I was wondering,” he said, “why do you figure they keep it so cold in here?”

Kiba shrugged.

“Beats me. What I wanna know is why we aren’t allowed to eat anything the day before.”

Naruto nodded sympathetically, and gave a lopsided grin.

“Maybe they’re trying to starve us,” he offered. Kiba laughed, and Naruto was about to continue the conversation when a voice from his right interrupted his thoughts.

“They don’t want us to throw it up,” said Sasuke, eyes fixed on Naruto, “And they keep it cold to counteract the heat from the launch. It’s mostly insulated, but we’ll heat up some as we leave the atmosphere. Can’t be helped.”

Sasuke turned away then, obviously done with the conversation. Naruto gaped for a moment, mouth struggling to form some kind of response.

“Thanks…” he finally managed, eyes glued to the back of the Uchiha boy’s head.

Sasuke wore his hair long on the sides, and in smooth, dark bangs over the forehead. Naruto felt himself wondering if it felt as soft as it looked. Sasuke’s family must spend a fortune on conditioner.

“Don’t mind him. We’ll probably launch pretty soon,” Kiba said from behind him.

Naruto nodded, and tore his eyes away from the dark haired boy to his right.

“Yeah, probably.”

Something told him this was going to be a long flight.

 

* * *

 

Sasuke had ended up being right about the food thing — when they left the atmosphere a lot of the kids on the ship had gotten sick. The retching and coughing sounds weren’t exactly pleasant, but they were better than the alternative. Naruto could only imagine what vomit in zero-gravity would be like, but he decided firmly that he never wanted to know. Some things were better left to the imagination. But apart from a few teenagers whose faces were fighting an intense battle between the red of embarrassment and the green of flight-sickness, everything was going as expected.

Over the course of the flight, Naruto also started to get to know more of the people around him.

In the row behind Kiba there were two boys, Shikamaru and Chouji, who muttered incessantly to each other until Kiba told them to knock it off and stop whispering. The boys, it turned out, were old friends from a school back on Earth. When Naruto had introduced himself, Chouji had given a toothy grin and said he’d shake his hand if they weren’t so far away. Shikamaru had just yawned. Naruto wasn’t sure what to think of Shikamaru — he’d used the word “mundane” when Naruto had asked if he was excited about being on a spaceship — but Chouji seemed nice enough. He had a round, open face, and kind eyes. Naruto decided that he liked him.

Across the aisle from those two was a girl named Ino, another high school friend of theirs. Naruto initially wasn’t sure what he thought of her, either. She was definitely one of the people he’d initially marked as “preppy assholes.” Her long blond hair was tied in an elegant ponytail, and even from a few seats away he could swear it smelled like lavender. Sasuke was already the uncrowned champion of expensive hair products in Naruto’s mind, but Ino was definitely giving him a run for his money.

“Your hair smells nice,” Naruto had even said at one point, “You must, uh, take care of it.”

Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

“Of course she does. Spends a fucking year in the bathroom every morning. Typical.”

At this, Ino shot him a glare so icy that it made Naruto shrink back against his seat.

“Wow, I’m hurt,” she said, raising her eyebrows, “And this coming from the man who uses bar soap as shampoo.”

After one look at Shikamaru’s expression, Naruto decided he liked Ino after all. Chouji burst out laughing, and Shikamaru gave him a plaintive look.

“Traitor,” he pouted, “You’re ganging up on me.”

“You deserve it,” Ino said pleasantly, shooting Naruto a quick smile, “Doesn’t he deserve it?”

Naruto grinned, and nodded. Shikamaru just scowled.

“Girls,” he muttered.

“You can complain when your test scores are higher than mine,” Ino said loftily, tossing her hair back over a shoulder for effect. Shikamaru glared.

“They would be if I’d tried,” he grumbled.

“Keep telling yourself that.”

After that, the three of them descended into old, familiar bickering. Watching Shikamaru squirm was fun enough, but Naruto didn’t feel like joining in. When Ino had brought up the aptitude tests, he’d felt a brief stab of panic in the back of his head. What exactly would he say if they asked him what his were? Sorry, I got in by beating up some kids in a bathroom? He sighed, and flopped his head back against the back of his seat, staring up at the ceiling. All these kids, these teenagers, were _smart_. Geniuses. Was this how the rest of the kids in his class had felt when he’d been the only one to get a monitor? Is this how he’d feel for the next four years? He grimaced. No use thinking about that now. He was here. He was on his way, he just had to…keep going.

By now, the conversation had shifted away from Shikamaru’s personal hygiene to Battle School itself.

“What do you guys think it’s gonna be like?” Kiba was asking, peering curiously back at the other three, “I mean, I don’t even know what we’re gonna be _learning_ , do you?”

Shikamaru shrugged.

“Maybe they’re just collecting geniuses,” he mused, “A flock of geniuses in a big iron box off planet so the government doesn’t have to deal with us getting involved in politics.”

“Oh sure,” Chouji said, elbowing his friend affectionately in the side, “it’s all a conspiracy. We’ll probably just learn the usual stuff. Math, history. Blah, blah.”

“And tactics,” Ino offered.

Kiba’s eyes lit up.

“Shit, right,” he said, “I heard a rumor about that! My folks are military, right? Nothing fancy, they’re retired now, but my dad said a few years back before he retired the school got a new commandant who’s gonna teach that stuff.”

“Yeah?” Chouji said, “Anyone we’ve heard of?”

Kiba shrugged.

“Maybe. He’s a colonel, I think. Battle School grad, youngest colonel they’ve had in decades. I think his name was Hatake? Apparently he’s fucking brilliant!”

Naruto was interested now. He hadn’t heard anything about Kakashi other than that he was a Battle School grad and he knew Iruka. He opened his mouth to join in the conversation, but before he could speak someone cut him off.

“I doubt it,” said a quiet voice from Naruto’s right.

Everyone turned to stare. Sasuke was looking slightly bored, twisting a lock of hair idly around one of his fingers. He glanced up, as if just noticing he had an audience.

“He smells like dog,” the boy went on, “And shows up late. I don’t know why they put him in charge of the school.”

Kiba’s eyes grew wide.

“The colonel likes dogs?” he asked, voice small.

There was a moment of silence. Sasuke looked mildly uncomfortable. Undeterred by the lack of response, Kiba burst into a grin.

“Oh fuck yes, I’m going to love him,” the boy said, and turned excitedly to Shikamaru and Chouji, who burst into laughter, “No, I’m serious!”

The three boys descended into another friendly argument, this time apparently over whether (or in Kiba’s case, _why_ ) dogs were the superior animal, but Naruto didn’t have the heart to join in. He was too busy looking at Sasuke.

The boy was already back to looking disinterested and antisocial, but still — Naruto was curious. Sasuke was the only other person on the flight who seemed to know who Kakashi was, at least of the people Naruto had met. Maybe they had something in common. No one else seemed interested in talking to him, anyway.

“Hey,” he said tentatively, “You, uh. You know the colonel too?”

“Not really,” said Sasuke, pursing his lips and pointedly not looking in Naruto’s direction, “I’ve only met him once before.”

“Same here! Why’d he show up for you?”

Sasuke frowned.

“Do I ask you _your_ business?”

“Oh, um, sorry,” Naruto said, cheeks reddening, “I guess not.”

He managed an awkward laugh, then quickly turned away as if suddenly fascinated by the upholstery on the seats across the aisle. He silently prayed that his face didn’t look as red as it felt. Fighting down the blush, he gave Sasuke another wary look. The kid was a jerk. He’d have to add a new category to his mental dossier on his classmates: normal asshole, preppy asshole, and Sasuke Uchiha. The boy needed a category all to himself, for sure.

Still, he didn’t want Sasuke to hate him. Who knows, maybe Kakashi came for him because his test scores were low too. With his family’s reputation, that would really stress the guy out, right? So Naruto would play nice. He just hoped Sasuke would too.

 

* * *

 

Many hours of dedicatedly _not staring at Sasuke_ later, and they had arrived at what had to be Battle School itself.

For most of the flight, Naruto had focused on breathing as quietly as possible. Something about being next to Sasuke made him feel like he was sitting next to a sleeping leopard, or some other condescending predatory animal. Naruto knew that people didn’t mean expressions like “if looks could kill” literally, but Sasuke was certainly doing his best to change his mind. Kiba and Shikamaru had fallen asleep an hour or so into the journey, and while Chouji and Ino kept up a quiet, friendly banter in the background, Naruto hadn’t felt like making conversation. Neither, predictably, had Sasuke.

Now, though, they were finally off the ship. The pilot had told them to line up in three rows, but everyone was still achy and tired from the journey so the result was more of a long unwieldy clump than anything resembling a formation. After a few minutes of waiting, the students started to grumble. It had been a long day — most of them just wanted to sleep.

After what seemed like fifteen minutes or so of waiting in line, a door opened on the far wall, and a familiar man in a blue uniform strode out.

“Sorry I’m late,” said Kakashi, “My name is Colonel Kakashi Hatake. I hope I didn’t keep you wall waiting.”

The pilot gave him a pained look, but saluted nonetheless.

“That’s him?” Chouji whispered behind him, and Naruto saw Kiba nod excitedly out of the corner of his eye.

Today, Kakashi was wearing his full uniform, and Naruto had to admit that he did look a lot more impressive in the getup than he had back on Earth. The jacket still looked a bit rumpled, but Kakashi made up for it. He stood like a commander: shoulders back, head high, expression calm and confident.

“Good morning students,” the colonel said, surveying the crowd in front of him.

“It’s not morning anymore,” muttered Shikamaru, who was standing slouched with his hands in his pockets to Naruto’s left.

Kakashi raised his eyebrows.

“Isn’t it?” he said amiably, “There’s no horizon here, so who’s to say what time it is?”

Shikamaru frowned, and shrugged.

“Mr. Nara’s comment,” Kakashi went on, turning back to address the full group, “brings up a good point. This isn’t Earth. The I.F. has done it’s best to simulate an Earth environment, but even so, you will all have a lot to get used to. Now, if you’ll all follow me…”

Kakashi went on about the construction of the school and the differences between Battle School and institutions back on Earth, but Naruto was only half listening. He’d researched the place a few years back — as Kakashi went through his tour guide routine, Naruto silently composed his own version from the facts he remembered.

Battle School was built just a few years after the Second Formic War, by the brother of the famous commander Hashirama Senju. Tobirama, the original commandant, had founded the school to identify and train potential officers to defend the Earth against future threats. Even now, decades after the last war, the ghost of a third invasion loomed over the public consciousness. If the buggers _had_ launched a third fleet, it could take decades for it to reach Earth, even traveling at relativistic speeds.

“Now, as you may have noticed,” Kakashi was saying, “there is gravity within the Battle School itself. Can anyone tell me why?”

There was a general murmur of “no sir” from the assembled students.

“Really? No one? What about you, Nara? Would you care to enlighten us a second time?” Kakashi said, but Shikamaru shook his head, “Well then. What about you, there. Mr. Uchiha, isn’t it?”

There was a ripple of hushed surprise from the students as they turned to look at Sasuke, who had positioned himself at the far right of the group. Most of them, Naruto realized, hadn’t heard that there was an Uchiha on the flight. He grimaced to himself. Just how famous exactly _was_ Sasuke’s family?

Amidst all the hushed surprise, Sasuke himself looked…tense. It was just for a moment, but Naruto could swear he saw the boy's eyes flicker nervously to the crowd of gawking student to his left. After that, the boy kept his gaze fixed on Kakashi, pointedly ignoring the whispering going on behind him.

“Sir,” he said, “if I’m not mistaken, the effects of gravity are simulated here using centrifugal force.”

Kakashi smiled slightly.

“Go on.”

“The Battle School is built like a wheel,” Sasuke said, a bit coldly Naruto thought, “It spins, and we walk along the outside edge, where the illusion of gravity is strongest.”

This was met with more whispers and hushed gossip. Sasuke’s eyes didn’t leave Kakashi's.

“Well informed,” the colonel said quietly, “Mr. Uchiha is, in fact, nearly correct. As to be expected from a student of his…caliber. But the school consists of two wheels, not one.”

The man went on into a rambling explanation of how the wheels were connected and what purposes they served, but Naruto’s attention was fixed on Sasuke. Before the colonel had called on him to speak, he’d been at the edge of the group. During the conversation he’d moved forward to stand near the center, but the students near him had backed away, leaving a good three feet of empty space around him in every direction. Even while Kakashi talked, they continued their whispered conversations, every now and then shooting the Uchiha boy a glance. Not all the looks were friendly. Some were bitter, jealous — venomous even.

And, suddenly, Naruto felt furious. The anger came before the explanation, his hands tightening into fists and heat rising in his chest before he had words to explain why. Then, all at once, he understood.

Kakashi was separating Sasuke. He was doing what teachers on Earth had done to Naruto, as far back as middle school: showing the other kids that he was smarter, better, _different_ than them, and letting them hate him for it. Uniting them against a common enemy. And whether the colonel meant to isolate Sasuke or not, that’s what he was doing.

By now, the tour was coming to an end. Naruto bit his lip, pulling himself out of his thoughts, and tried to focus on what their guide was saying. At the moment, Kakashi had paused in their journey to point out a strip of lights on the wall.

“This,” he was saying, “is your map for the first week. Each launch group and each army is assigned a code — yours is blue blue yellow. Just palm the wall wherever you are and this strip will light up. Follow your colors, and they’ll take you wherever you need to go. Your fingerprints are already in the system.”

Naruto frowned, his attention once again slipping away from Kakashi’s words as he stared at the wall. The material was metal, from the look of it. Would it be cold to the touch, out in space? Or was there machinery to keep it warm? Experimentally he pressed a hand to the wall nearest him, and was pleased to find that the wall was, in fact, slightly warm to the touch. He also realized too late that when Kakashi had said to palm the wall “wherever” you were, he’d meant it literally. As soon as Naruto removed his hand, the strip began to light up in a pattern — blue blue yellow — leading in the direction that Kakashi had been walking. Behind him, a few kids had stopped to look at the flashing lights. A couple others were laughing. Reddening a bit, Naruto turned to look at Kakashi, who was grinning.

“Thank you for the demonstration, Mr. Uzumaki,” he said, “Now, since we have a map, let me show you to your barracks, where you’ll be staying until you’re promoted. Follow me.”

 

* * *

 

The barracks turned out to be a large dormitory style room lined with bunk beds and sleek silver lockers. Kakashi left them at the door, and turned them over to a man he introduced as Major Yamato.

“Hello everyone,” the major said mildly as the kids gathered in a group in front of him, “As the colonel said, my name is Yamato. It’s a bit of a tradition here at Battle School for each teacher to take on a launch group. They pay me to be nice to you, so, according to the I.F., I’m essentially your dad for the duration. I hope we’ll get along.”

“What else do you do?” Ino asked a bit skeptically, and Yamato gave her a gentle smile.

“I’m glad you asked, miss…?”

“Yamanaka. Call me Ino.”

“Right. Well, Miss Ino, when I’m not here parenting you kids I’m a science teacher. I got my degree in biology before I joined the I.F. I’ll probably have most of you in my class. I hope you all like botany!”

The major gave the group a hopeful glance, but there wasn’t much of a response. Deflating a little, he went on.

“I know you’ve had a long day, so for tonight all we’re doing is assigning beds. You can choose where you sleep on your own — just, not all at once please. Palm the locker next to your bed to claim it. There should be a desk and some uniforms inside. Bathrooms are down the hall, so you can change there if you want privacy. Feel free to look around.”

When Yamato finished his speech, most of the students split into pairs and made a beeline for the nearest beds. Chouji and Shikamaru claimed a bunk far in the back of the room. Naruto turned to ask Kiba if he’d like to share one too, but the brunette was already setting off to claim a spot near the others with Ino. Naruto groaned inwardly. He had a sinking feeling that he was going to end up getting last choice again, just like on the ship. Just as he was about to head to the back of the room and look for spare beds near Kiba and the others, his thoughts were once again interrupted by a familiar voice.

“Hey.”

Naruto turned.

Sasuke was looking down at him from the top bunk nearest the door, just a few feet away from where Naruto stood. He must have claimed the bed early on — all the other nearby bunks were full.

“Um, hey,” Naruto managed.

Sasuke was still looking at him. His eyes were soft, searching almost.

“Don’t have anywhere to sleep?” he finally asked, looking away and smoothing back a stray lock of hair.

The boy’s voice was small, a bit hesitant, and again Naruto felt a hotness in his chest. He remembered how the rest of the group had started looking at Sasuke after Kakashi had pointed him out. Even now, he felt people staring at the two of them from across the room. Whispering. He didn’t turn around.

“Is that an offer?”

Sasuke shrugged.

“If you like. All your friends ditched you, anyway.”

Naruto felt a blush rising in his cheeks, but he fought it back down, and, instead, grinned.

“They were probably all running away from _you_.”

Sasuke made a dismissive noise.

“I’m sure that’s it,” he said, glaring down at Naruto, “At least I’m not the one who smells.”

Naruto’s cheeks did turn red at this.

“It was hot on the ship!” he said defensively, “Like you said, it heats up!”

"I'm sure it does."

Sasuke turned away, then, but not before Naruto saw the tiniest hint of a smile on his lips. Naruto scowled.

“I’m still taking the bed,” he muttered, "Can't scare me off. Prick."

“Suit yourself,” came the disinterested voice from above.

Naruto took a step back then, and gave the bed a quick once over. With his mattress low down and so close to the door, anyone who used the bathroom during the night would have to walk right by him.

“Hey,” he said, “is there any way I could have the top b-”

“ _No_.”

Naruto sighed. Go figure. Half of him wanted to find somewhere else to sleep out of spite, but his body still ached from the flight — he could regret his decisions in the morning. For now, he just wanted to rest.

"Jerk," he muttered.

"Idiot," Sasuke called back.

Naruto didn't know whether to feel pleased or annoyed that he'd gotten a reply. Fighting a yawn, he sat down on the bed and started to take off his shoes. It had been a long day, and he had a feeling things were just going to get harder from here on out.

Well. At least he had a place to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a long one! There's a lot of exposition that I'm going to need to cram into the next few chapters, but we'll meet more and more characters as the fic goes on.  
> Also, one of my friends thought Kakashi saying "a man makes do" about having no dogs in space was a "country girls make do" reference and I screamed, that's not what the chew toy's for I'm. Crying.  
> Tune in next time for more launch group bonding™


End file.
